Sidelines
by Lights321
Summary: I've always hated OC works of fiction. My friend challenged me to write a piece of work that doesn't display a Mary Sue, while using the most overused protagonist. A femme. I would really appreciate critique, flames, hate or basically anything.


_Angsty: So...  
Mystery: Yep._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was a miracle to awaken.

Body buzzing online, systems calibrating to adjust to your surroundings, and the sheer moment and beauty of opening your eyes to observe the world as you knew it.

As she propped herself up, her eyes wide and mind blissfully blank, she gazed around to see where she was. It wasn't knowledge that propelled her actions, instead, an instinct, the need to learn.

Oh her right and left, there were multiple pods, their windows tainted and machines beeping quietly. Looking down at herself, she found that she had something called fingers, a body, and feet to match.

She was within a pod, and there was another larger machine beside her, a tube connected to the pod. The screen on the machine read:

_Cybertronian SM-1-L3: Status: Awake. Await further instructions.  
_  
She tilted her head and lay back within the pod, never questioning how she managed to read in the first place. She could read the screen and that was that. Besides, the screen told her to await instructions and she had to listen to the screen!

In a short while, there came a great crashing noise, one that she had never heard before, and her body immediately sat up by itself. Looking toward the direction of which the noise came, there were four mechs.

Blinking, she observed how they took a blunt object and smashed the window of the pod closest to them. The other mech took a sharp knife and cut something away from the thing that lay within the pod. One of the mechs caught her eye and he elbowed the others.

"Hey. Hey! One of them's awake."

"Impossible. The newspark's are set to awaken at a certain point in time-"

"Yeah, well, that one's awake."

"Let's kill it. Now."

"Guess you're right. Got all the T-Cog's and fresh brain molecules we need to make a killing from the other room anyway."

The mech's approached her and she nodded in greeting. She wasn't sure what these mech's were doing, but they looked like her in a way! Maybe they could teach her what she needed to know.

Kill? What was that?

One of the mech's pointed something metal and slightly hot in her face.

"Night, night, you little glitc-"

They was another louder crashing sound and she saw more mech's approach her and the four others. They cursed foully.

"Scrap, it's the fragging police!"

Their metal objects seemed to shoot beams of light at the others who approached, and the lights that connected burst on contact. She blinked, observing the pink fluids that flowed out after they hit the ground.

As the mechs crashed into each other, she made her slow way out of the pod and set both legs unto the ground. It was a little weird to stand, but she soon walked normally, breathing heavily at her success. There were a lot of scary noises that came from the mechs that hit the ground, but nobody seemed to notice her.

She continued walking, standing on her tippy toes and twirled. Eventually the noises stopped and she looked behind her.

The four original mechs that had appeared first were on the ground, odd objects restraining their arms and legs. She walked closer, and only then did she see the other bots notice her.

"Pit, what should we do with that one? She didn't fight like these pieces of junk did."

"She might be in shock. Let's just reunite her with her comrades."

"Disgusting psychos, all five of them..."

They took her arms and put it behind her back. She felt a little frown cross her face. She wasn't sure if she liked having her movements restricted, but if this was what instructions machine told her to wait for, then she was going to listen and do it.

They pushed her into a larger machine, this one dark and had wheels. Sitting down with the other four, she looked at their bitter faceplates. Maybe, maybe it was time to start talking.

"E-ex-" Her vocalizer shorted out and she cleared her throat. "H-hello? I can be... speaking?"

The four looked at her. One got an ugly smile on his face. "Well, it would appear you finally got your glossa back. What's the matter? What's your malfunction huh? Getting thrown into prison with the lot of us?"

She answered simply. "Instruction... tell me to wait instruction."

On mech sighed. "Leave her alone. If she had prematurely hatched from the pods, that means she can barely speak as of now. What's happening is normal for her."

She nodded her head. "Yes. Very normal. Instructions needed?"

"Primus, let's just kill her. She's not going to survive where we're going." Somebody mumbled.

"Nah. C'mon, let's keep her around. Boredom's a slagging pain in the aft. Besides, she's new yeah? Let's train her and beat her up to pass time."

"You sicko. I like the idea!"

"What's your designation?"

She looked into the glowing optics the mechs around her. "Designation: SM-1-L3"

"Perfect! Let's just call her Smile! Heh, not where she's headed though..."

_"Man, that's a tough way to begin. Some friends eh?"_

"Oh, I didn't know any better. It was perfectly normal for me. Besides, they were never my friends in the first place. Maybe just comrades."

"Let's hope things got better."

"Oh I wish it did. I sincerely wish it did."

"Did I mention that I had some awesome friends in Iacon at one point?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

Vomiting up her energon, she convulsed on the floor, hurt from the kick had reduced her to a shivering wreck on the ground.

"Get up you worthless piece of slag!"

Another boot sent her flying, the blinding sensation unwillingly bringing forth the tears, dripping down her face. She looked into the grinning faces of the mechs she lived with. Arrived with and survived with.

The expression in her face was not hatred. It was not love. It wasn't anything.

Just a simple understanding.

Because the dark, the pain and the cell.

It was her reality.

Eventually there came a time where they allowed the pain to stop for a moment. They taught her how to to stop the pain.

They still beat her afterwards. But at least they were kind enough to teach her how to inflict this thing named "pain."

_"So that's where you learned to fight."_

"It led to a fear of darkness, but I suppose that was a small price to pay for the ability to fight like a soldier."

"Never told me how you managed to learn so fast..."

"I was a new spark, and my mind was empty, you silly. Every word, movement and instruction was absorbed and perfected."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

In time, there came something else.

Light.

It wasn't a harsh bright light. But she could _see_ now. She could see her hands again.

She was finally allowed to walk out of her cell. During this time she met other mechs. They were all the same, avoiding her and sometimes hurting her.

Except she knew something they didn't. She thought up something nobody imagined she could.

What if she... did the same thing back?

_"Oh girl. You poor thing."___

_"Oh no. Not poor. Maturing. My eyes opened. I realized for the first time the possibilities of striking back. Of course, there would be consequences as you can see... Such as my T-Cog becoming crushed from the onslaught of continuous beatings."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

Staring down at her energon stained hands, she observed the mech that was lying still on the ground.

Chest empty from where she lunged at him with the piece of sharp spare metal, then pulled out.

She could see the source of his life force on the metal she had clutched to her hands. The glass slowly slipped down and shatterd on the ground.

The big mechs, the lord of this realm; pushed through the crowd that stood watching her and dragged her away.

During the punishment for defying the will of the big mechs, she barely felt the electric shocks or the sting of the knife.

Her reality had changed. She was free. _Free_.

Limping away from the punishment chamber, mechs paused at the look of wonder in her optics.

A look of childish wonder and brightness that defied all odds and found; in all places, a hellish prison.

_"Your first kill."_

"That's right."

"Ya didn't... _feel__ anything?"_

"Didn't I tell you? I felt _ecstatic__. There was suddenly a new purpose in my life. Riding the world of people whom I... didn't like very much." _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

The mech shivered as he walked down the darkened hallway, a cube of energon clutched tightly to his chest.

In a prison cell of Autobots and Decepticons, the Autobot's always received the better treatment. Nobody questioned it. Dead mechs did.

This particular Decepticon had received his cube of energon for the week. If he dropped it or had it stolen, it was another battle against slow starvation.

There was a slow tapping noise, and he stifled a whimper of fright.

Too light to a be a mech's pedes. Too heavy to be the moisture dripping from the walls.

The sound of dainty pedes approaching him.

The sound stopped and he slowly looked behind him.

The weird femme stood looking at him. She held out a hand, gesturing to the energon cube.

He backed away, clutching his energon cube closer to himself. "N-no, it's m-my rations-"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm asking you to hand it over."

Her eyes were bright, but the scariest part was the lack of emotion on her face.

"I-I'll starve-"

"Is that what you're concerned about?"

They was the sound of a fist swinging through the air and a sudden crunch. He silently looked down. The fist had completely penetrated his chest, his spark chamber crushed or torn through to the other side.

He silently looked at her. Her expression looked nearly kind.

"And now," she said quietly, "You'll never need to concern yourself about starvation again."

He collapsed, with the energon cube clutched in the femme's possession now.

She gave a tiny yawn and continued toward the mess hall.

Sitting at the table with the mech's she had first arrived with, she poured the energon cube's contents into five equal portions. The mechs sitting there let out a cheer.

One of them gave a savage grin in her direction.

"Who was the victim this time?"

She gave a shrug as she savoured the taste of furl within her mouth. "Some weakling Decepticon. Stuttering problem. Won't present much of a problem now."

All four smirked at her, "Doesn't bother you? That mech was alive."

She looked up surprised. "Why? Was he an Autobot? I thought we only got in trouble if we killed Autobot prisoners. Aren't other Decepticons free game?"

_"That Decepticon was a former technician."_

"So?"

"You killed a defenceless bot."

"Well, defenceless or not, he ended up in jail for a reason. Besides, guards sometimes forget your rations on purpose. I was hungry. Had to get fuel somewhere."

_"Never went after the real Decepticon soldiers?"_

_"Gosh, no way. They'd kill me with a single swing. Much better to find former medics or office workers. They don't put up a fight, and their armour's weak as well."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

The screams echoed down the hallways.

The guard paused as he observed the femme named... Smile or something or other.

She had the prisoner down by the throat, and seemed to be torturing him.

He grimaced as he saw her sink her sharp digits into his eye and tear the entire thing out.

The pitch of the screams reached a new pitch and she punched the unfortunate mech in throat so hard, the screams cut off.

Must have crushed the voicebox.

It wasn't his business anyway.

Instead he reached within his subspace and pulled out a cy-gar. He caught her looking at him. He grunted.

"Thanks for shutting up the piece of garbage. I thought I had to finish this shift with him whimpering."

She gave him a polite nod. "It's no problem, sir."

True to her duty, there were no screams or moans or any sounds of pain.

Only the sound of claws slicing through metal flesh if you focused.

The entire thing took nearly an hour, and when she walked off, he called after her.

"Hey! Weirdo. Why, huh? Why the grisly deaths reserved for the Autobot prisoners? You know you'll get punished later."

She looked back.

"It gets boring down here." She answered with pure honestly in her expression.

_"You hated Autobots more then the Decepticon prisoners."_

"That's correct."

"Why?"

"I suppose I felt jealous to some extent that they received better treatment because they were the fraction stereotyped as "good." As far as I was concerned, hypocrites deserved the slower deaths of the spectrum."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

One day she encountered _him_.

It was day like any other, walking around the prison and wishing for another unfortunate prisoner to wander her way.

But this time, she found that a new wing had opened. It was called "_Solitary Confinement._"

When she asked her comrades, they gave her some grunted answers.

"It's basically a prison cell where you're alone. You don't get to talk with nobody, just you and the dark. Luckily you've got a scheduled execution or an early release date."

She wandered within the wing carefully, marvelling at the cool walls and clean floors. The guards she passed ignored her and she respectfully waited for them to pass before walking further.

Finally she came a great steel wall. There was a single rectangular hole at the bottom. It nearly scared her out of her wits when the voice appeared.

"Hey! Somebody out there!?"

She stayed quiet. Leaning down at the ground to observe the hole, she realized it was where the voice originated from.

"C'mon, I know you're out there! I can hear your systems humming!"

She bit her bottom lip. It was better to never speak or tread near unknown things. But she was curious.

"I'm here."

"Heeey! What do ya know! I knew there was a soul out there! A femme no less, neat!"

Se stared in disbelief at the way this mech spoke. It was so... cheerful. It was disgusting.

"You're insane." She managed out.

"Say what now?"

"N-no one, speaks like that in this place. Do you want s-someone to find you and kill you?"

Dammit. This mech brought her stutter out. She hated it when she stuttered. It was an admittance to weakness. Weakness did not survive here long. She was going to have to kill him.

"Well, what's your name Sad Face?"

The slight fear she had made way into anger.

"My _designation_ is Smile. And is your fraction Decepticon or Autobot?"

There was a muffled laughter. "Well, that was spontaneous. And good Primus above, your name!"

She felt her back stiffen. "What about my name?"

"Well, it's pretty dang ironic considering you have the grumpiest deposition ever."

She gritted her teeth. "And you? What about you? What your _name_?"

He gave a laugh. "Oh no, I think I'm going to hang onto my name for a while."

She felt her eyes widen. The injustice of the entire thing made her nearly gasp. Near the entirety of her life she was the abuser, the taker, and the bully.

It had been so long she was unable to simply take what she wanted. Instead, she lost her name to a person who won't give her his name!

It... wasn't fair!

"That's dirty!" She burst out.

He laughed in great bursts behind the cell. "It most certainly is!"

Angry tears flooded her optics and made her even angrier at her loss. "Frag you!" Turning around, she was ready to stomp away and never return. Let him rot!

"Tell you what, you sound upset, so I'll offer you a deal."

She paused, wiping away her tears, listening to him. Deals were often good. Deals meant both people got something.

"If you come to this place and talk to me at least an hour tomorrow, I'll tell you my name."

She sniffled and crossed her arms. "What if I say no?"

"Then the mystery will drive you crazy."

She stomped her foot. "No it won't!"

"Yes it will."

"No!"

"Totally!"

"Nope! Nope nope nope nope nope no!

"Ha ha ha ha, Yeeeessss!"

"No it won't! But I'll come here anyway!"

"Awesome!"

_"Ah, our first meeting."_

"You were an aft at that time, _Bose__."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

Smile traced patterns into the ground using a spare energon cube she had stolen from a random prisoner. It wasn't that she was hungry, rather bored.

Killing seemed to lose its appeal. Talking with Bose was much more interesting these days.

Smile barely recognized herself these days.

"Hey. Ya still there?"

"Of course."

"Ha, that's my girl."

She tilted her head back against the wall where Bose resided behind the steel wall. She wished she could tear away this wall, to see his face and to touch him.

She wouldn't kill him. She wouldn't hurt him. She wanted to... hold him and never let go.

"Bose?"

"Yeah?"

"What makes a mech... happy? What gives purpose?"

She remembered all their conversations, the fantastic descriptions of a world that was bursting with colour, self expression, happiness and "friends."

The truth that everyone had kept hidden from her.

Bose gave a deep sigh. "Happiness huh? Purpose eh? Well Smile, I guess all that's up to you."

She sighed, burying her head in her hands. Another mystery answer.

"Hey Smile?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what makes _me_ happy? A great big smile. The grin that nearly splits your faceplates. When you can't even express your feelings anymore, and just relax and let your faceplates do all the talking."

"Oh Bose. I-I don't know if I can..."

"C'mon. Let's do this like the first time I saw your face. Lie flat down on your belly and stare into the feeding hole. You can't see me due to the lighting, but I can see you!"

Smile rolled her eyes and lowered herself to the energon hole, bracing her face on her hands.

Smile could never see his face, but there was always a dark outline of his faceplates. This time was no different.

Smile sighed to relax herself, and then her mouthplate twitched. She sighed.

"Bose, it isn't working."

"Aw, what kinda try was that? C'mon, gimmie a smile that rocks mah world!"

Smile felt her mouth twitch again.

"That's it, come on."

Finally, a tiny smile.

"Oh, you go girl!"

It seemed automatic, how the smile got wider.

Finally, a grin that reached ear to ear.

"Wow."

She spoke through her smile. "What?"

"You look beautiful."

Smile rolled her eyes again. It was amazing what happened with that smile. Once she had it on, it never seemed to disappear.

"You just keep practicing that grin girl. Even when there isn't a reason to smile, just think of me, alright?"

"Ok."

"Promise."

"I promise... Bose. I promise."

_"Why don't you smile? You know, since it's your name and all."_

"How can I Bose? What reasons do I have?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

Another day, another visit. But this time she ran toward Solitary Confinement, a huge smile stretched across her face and with a reached conclusion.

She had to see Bose!

She had to tell him that she...

She...

She really, really, really, _really_ liked him!

She went to the cell and slide to the wall on her knees.

"Bose! Bose! I got something to tell you!"

Silence greeted her.

Bose never stayed silent like this. He was usually the first to greet her.

Her enthusiastic greeting died down eventually.

"Bose? C'mon, Bose, answer me...It's not funny..."

"You're too late."

Her eyes meet the sanitation mech's. Autobot. Guard. Protected.

Her eyes were wide. Tears were seeping out, and she didn't even know why. Her mouth moved, but the words that came out were hardly a whisper.

"Please...what...happened..."

The mech sighed as he buffed the floor.

"His sentence. Execution. Killed him this morning. A clean shot through the spark. They dragged his body away and dumped him with the others. Maybe you could beg the body back so you have at least an opportunity to bury the poor mech."

Smile looked down at the ground, feeling as if her soul was being shred into pieces. No, he couldn't be dead...that was just a assumption on the janitor's part... Bose could never die...

_You don't get to talk with nobody, just you and the dark. Luckily you've got a scheduled execution plan or an early release date._

She lurched forward and vomited.

When the purging had stopped she looked at the cell and clutched her head as she screamed.

And screamed.

Screamed.

Pain.

No happiness.

Gone.

_"Bose?"_

"Yes?"

_"Did you ever have to deal with death?"_

"On the occasion, yes."

"Did you ever... feel anything?"

"Of course."

"Because I don't."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

She lay in the berth, dully staring at the small ray of light provided by the small rectangular hole.

After wailing and screaming, tearing at her own metal flesh; she spent her time dully staring at the wall.

Standing up she pushed at the wall. It gave way, moving smoothly.

Silently slipping in, she looked at the curious mechs standing outside, drawn by her wails.

She closed her optics and pushed the door closed.

Lying on the berth, she closed her eyes and slept.

Her time was spent lying diagonally and staring at the energon cubes that had been pushed through the opening. Apparently the guards knew that she resided in this place now.

The energon cubes just kept increasing. Her only conception of time in this awful dark hell.

How had Bose survived?

How had he been so happy?

How did he make her smile again, and again?

How did he make her fall in love with him?

She looked away from the cubes and at the darkness. She had once been afraid of the dark. Spent her time being beaten and a slave to the mechs that had brought her here in the blackness.

But here, it grieved with her. It wept when she did. And it swallowed her whole, allowing her to rest.

In time, she realized that her senses became sensitive.

She could see things much more clearly. The glow of the energon cubes were not her only guide here. She could see where her prison began and ended.

Her hearing became even more advanced.

The muted conversations that took place become clear to her. Stories of how a ruthless killer had been tamed by a simple prisoner. How she was totally and completely broken. How they hoped she would dimply die and the cell would be open space for another prisoner.

Finally, one day, she pushed herself off the berth and sat upright.

The time spent in this position was thinking.

One day she even began to smile.

She came to her own conclusion.

Bose knew he was going to be executed. That explained his last words. But she was going to do what he told her to do. And she was going to smile everyday.

But the mechs who murdered Bose could not be forgiven. Never. No amount of words or conversation could ever convince her otherwise in that department.

She walked toward the the cubes and set one on her lap to drink. Even if she spent weeks unmoving, she was extremely low on fuel.

After slowly sipping everything down, she stood up and walked toward the entrance.

Pushing hard on the entrance, the wall swung open and the guards posted there drew back with surprise. Her face was blank and she simply walked past the startled mechs.

Walking toward the south wing, she saw the captain, standing among the soldiers and waving his arm toward the section. He immediately saw her and beckoned her forward.

She walked quietly to his side. He looked down at her.

"You're here for the body aren't you?"

She nodded.

He brought her to a coffin. The only thing marked on top of the box was the name Bose and the Autobot symbol crudely painted on top.

Smile bit her lower lip hard. The blood dripped down her chin and her optics teared from sadness rather then the pain.

The captain sighed as he backed away. "The soldiers will transport his body outside. You're allowed to go with them to select... the burial spot."

She nodded.

The captain walked away, and she simply knelt before the coffin and rested her head on the cool coffin.

She smiled.

"Let's go Bose. It's time to sleep."

_"Bose, I didn't kill that Autobot today."_

"Good girl!"

"I followed your advice and stuff... And... Do people really hurt when someone they love dies?"

"Oh Smile. You have no idea. Maybe one day you'll feel that hurt... and also happiness too eventually."

"How can you be... happy and sad?"

"Heh heh."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

The guard was young and hadn't been taught to hate Decepticons as much as the older occupants. He only understood that Smile was suffering and allowed her go on the borderline of the prison's perimeter.

She knelt before the cool dirt of the planet.

The twin suns were shining brightly, and the sky was a pretty shade of pink. How she had wished this day would come. The time were she was free.

Freedom could be achieved. But Bose was dead.

Smile closed her eyes and envisioned Bose's face.

Where would someone as wonderful as Bose be buried?

She turned and saw a patch of organic vegetarian in contrast with the dirt and rocks. Walking over to where the soft greenery was, she put her hand gently on the growing plants.

Using her sharp claws, she gently removed the saplings away to the corners of the greenery. She left a patch of dirt. Taking the shovel, she dug away at the dirt.

The instrument was meant to cut away even rock, and the shovel dug smoothly. She took the coffin and peered at the outside, tracing his name.

Pressing a kiss on the coffin she gently lowered it within the hole with the help of the guard.

"Um, excuse me?"

She looked up. "Yes?"

"I've heard from others that you've never even seen his face. Wouldn't you-"

"No."

"Why?"

Smile grinned to herself and gently scooped the dirt back within the hole, watching the rich soil slowly bury Bois.

"Because one day, I'll be seeing his face regardless. But it won't be now. Not when he isn't grinning."

The guard had a sorrowful expression on his face. "I'll be some distance away. Enough to see you, but still give you some privacy."

She nodded and she continued to rain dirt unto Bois.

At last when the dirt was all on top of him, she placed the unearthed plants back on top of the grave. The saplings would continue to grow, life on top of death.

She walked to a stone and carried it to where Bois was buried. Placing the stone on top of his grave, she began carving in the glyphs.

_Bois, Autobot_

Friend, Prisoner, Soldier

She drew in a breath of what she drew in next. It was like her finger moved unwittingly.

_Beloved Conjunx Endura_

She simply placed her face against the stone and sighed as its coolness reminded her of the west wing.

She gave a big smile and kissed the stone for the last time.

Walking away, she looked into the sun and sighed happily.

Here Bois would be happy.

In the sun and away from the darkness. One day, when she saw him she would tell him how much she loved him. What he showed her, the compassion, forgiving, acceptance and knowledge he bestowed unto her undeserving self.

She walked back to the prison, the smile melting away.

Bois may be happier now, but he was taken away by forces beyond his control. He had not passed on honourably, instead shot and thrown among the thousands of corpses.

The young guard smiled at her. "Ready to go back?"

She smiled widely at him. "The Allspark? Certainly. Are you?"

With one swing, the guard's head became separated from his body.

_"What do you think happens to us when we die Bose?"_

"Hmm. Allspark? Limbo? But here's the secret Smile, the best part is... I don't have a frikkin' clue."

"How's that a good thing?"

"I just know I'll be the happiest damn mech alive when my spark extinguishes. Because all those regrets, all the sadness, won't be relevant ever, ever again..."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ahhh, back within civilization! Smile, just breath in that swallow air! Tastes like desperation doesn't it?"

She smiled back at him.

Their sentence was over. They were finally released from prison. But their sentence would not have passed as quickly had it been not for her.

As soon as Bois had passed on, she became a living nightmare, she-demon. Killing mechs right and left, torturing them in broad daylight.

There were differences to be noted. Instead of passively killing them right and left, she gave a feral grin and laughed as the mechs died.

Even the guards weren't safe from her.

Autobots were never touched.

Punishments stopped working as well. All the fumes, all the shocks, cuts; nothing could stop her from coming back to her old ways.

The captain was so fed up with the behaviour he immediately dismissed them. Banished to the Dead End, located on Cybertron.

She sighed as she revelled in the space she was granted. This place was even more dirty then prison. But it was free and it had unsuspecting victims.

It didn't feel like home. But the prison didn't either. Maybe this place would be a nice change of scenery. Open space to walk, no curfew, and plenty of new mechs.

She walked down the middle of the street confidently, eyes slowly scanning the streets, looking for mechs.

She found a group. Their huddled positions spoke that they were homeless and drug addicts. She picked up a piece of blunt metal and twirled it around as she approached the group.

They seemed to sense her evil intent even before they saw her. Turning around, the mech closest to her never even saw anything. A swing of the object completely crushed his brain molecule inside the head.

The others fled before the sight of their comrade dying, fleeing away.

Their stamina was nothing compared to hers, entire life composed of chasing down and _killing for the fun of it_.

The last addict scrambled away on his back, so far gone in his lifestyle he was unable to even walk.

Curling her lip, she held the baton up high, aiming to smash it down on his chest and crush his spark chamber.

"You're disgusting." She purred.

He fearfully looked at her. "Please...Please...I-I was..."

She shook her head, a sad smile beginning to form on her lips. "It doesn't matter what you were. Everything ends the same." She readied the weapon. "Now, prepare yourself."

"I-I-I was an Autobot..."

Smile paused, her eyes widening and tears dripped down her face. She wiped her eyes and stared in astonishment at the liquid coating her servo.

It was if a dam broke loose. She dropped her weapon and collapsed on the ground weeping.

Oh Bois...Bois..._Bois_...

Why wasn't he here to share in their freedom? _Why_?

Time had healed the sharp pain, but it never fully went away.

She tearfully looked toward the tall towers in Dead End. Biting her bottom lip she clenched her fists.

She would live. If not for herself, then for Bose. She would live and be happy.

Sighing she sat back against the filthy wall.

Who knows? Maybe eventually she could even manage to make it to the big cities, like Kaon, Tarn, or perhaps even Iacon itself.

Bose loved Iacon.

Yes. Now _that_ was a reason to live. Not survive as it was in the prison, but _live_.

_"Bose?"_

"Yeah?"

"What do you think out of everything is the most, most awesome_ plus__ purposeful?"_

"Haha, most awesome and fulfilling huh? Well, I'd say companionship. Friends. You get company, love and loyalty all rolled into one package."

"Bose?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have friends?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX**

Smile stretched languidly.

Freedom was like a drug. You needed it, craved it and loved it.

Smile leapt off the building and latched unto the railing of the next building. She continued this way until she was on the border of the city.

Looking down, she caught sight of the four mechs that had brought her to prison.

One of them looked up and gave her a wink, spotting her.

The last time she heard, they were starting a business where they were capturing wanted mechs for a bounty, or just simply bring in random mechs to sell on the black market.

But this wasn't a project she was going to join. It would be fun, but it wasn't something that would benefit her goal.

She smiled back and looked at the beautiful view of the Iacon towers glinting in the distance. The various shades of colours had stunned her into speechlessness when she first laid eyes on the view.

That was where Bose had started his life.

Smile grinned to herself and leapt over the border separating Dead End from the most prodigious city on Cybertron.

_"One day Bose, I'm going to go on a adventure so fantastic, you'll be left with your jaw hanging __wide__ open!"_

"You go girl! I promise I'll be cheering from the sidelines!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXX  
**_  
__When Smile was forged, Decepticons broke into the the forging factory and stole the protoforms and killed any bots that were constructed in order to steal some valuable body bits to sell on the black market._

_Smile survived by being the first out and about her forging pod. The Decepticon squad were eventually captured when they were just about to kill her. Smile was thrown into the same jail cell as the Decepticons because she survived. Unable to speak and understanding the barest necessities, Smile thought that this was the normal life._

_The Decepticon's kept her around mostly for entertainment in their jail cell, complaining bitterly about their defeat and the Autobot fraction. They figure out pretty quickly that she's a new forged and immediately name her "Smile." The most ironic name in a jail cell._

_The spent some time teaching her basic techniques for killing and short distance fighting. She caught on quickly and well. The one thing they never stopped telling her was this:_

_"This is your reality."_

_Smile spent the majority of the first few decades of her life killing and learning how to take advantage of the weak. The guards never cared if a Decepticon prisoner died from Smile's antics. It's safe to assume that the number of cruel punishments, fumes, lack of discipline and care in the prison has warped her mind for good._

_It's at one point she meets an Autobot prisoner. They immediately hit off since he's in solitary confinement and she isn't strong enough to break through into his cell and kill him. Smile gets to experience first hand what a normal conversation feels like. The Autobot prisoner convinces her that there is something worth living for besides murdering. He encourages her to do the one thing that she never managed to accomplish. To give a big bright smile to face the day._

_Smile resolves to change her lifestyle for the one that the Autobot prisoner talked about._

_One day, she walks toward the Autobot's prison and is informed that the prisoner had been executed on time for his sentence. For the first time in her life she experienced true anguish, and secluded herself for an entire month._

_The experience finally pushed her officially over the edge, but with some positive results. Instead of living with no expression, she walks everywhere with a gigantic smile on her face. She has an abnormally cheerful personality and hesitates to kill Autobots. And she's always constantly searching for one true Autobot friend, even though she knows that her original Autobot will never come back._

_When she and the group were released, they made a settlement in Dead End, where Smile goes on a random killing spree, celebrating her freedom. It ends when she collapses in the middle of the road, crying, wishing that she could have her only friend back._

_Smile spends even more time in Dead End, the harsh environment there boosting her physical strength and capacity of survival. She always looked beyond the slums, wishing that she could experience life outside that the Autobot told her._  
_One day, she does. And she meets another friend..._


End file.
